Ansel Adams Wilderness

 Introduction 

The Ansel Adams Wilderness is a gem of the Sierra Nevada.
It is one of the most breathtaking and inspiring wilderness area I ever visited.

The area is composed of a large network of trails, connecting a multitude of lakes, streams, meadows, forrest and rising peaks. 
It is bordered by Yosemite in the west and Mount Whitney in the south, offering countless adventure opportunities. 

This area is beautiful no matter the season you choose to visit: It can be backpacked in the Spring / Summer / Fall and skied in the winter. Mount Ritter and Mount Banner (two of the rising peaks) offer amazing climbing and mountaineering opportunities and the various passes crossing the western divide allow a passage onto the Yosemite Valley. 

This trips report relates one of my favorite routes. It starts in Devils Postpile trailhead onto Minaret Lake, Cecile Lake, Iceberg Lakes, Ediza Lakes and back via Agnew Meadow trailhead.

This trip was led in July of 2017, which happened to be a particularly wet year (600in of snow fell in the Sierra). This trip requires orienteering skills and proper maps as the Pass from Minaret Lake to Iceberg does not have a trail.

Overnight permits are required at all times. They can be obtained online in advance at recreation.gov or at any ranger stations. For more information, visit the Inyo National Forest website.

 Day 1- Devil's Postpile Trailhead to Minaret Lake

I was to lead a party of 6 guys onto this adventure. This area is popular for its dense forests, lush green meadows, rugged peaks and trout-filled lake!
2017 was one of the snowiest year on record, thus we expected several feet of snow in the backcountry. We spent the first night at Mammoth Lakes and set off the next day.

The trail from Devil's Postpile (7,500ft) to Minaret Lakes (9,800ft) consists of roughly 7 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation gain. It climbs along Minaret Creek through a dense forrest of pine, lush green meadows all the way to Minaret Lake, at the base of the Minaret peaks.
Minaret Creek was flowing at an unprecedented pace, given the record snowpack. As we climbed, we were led by the noise of the creek and the various falls along the way. 5 miles up the trails, the first views of the Minarets are bestowed upon us. 
The last 2 miles consist of several snow patches and steep rock formation, which took us above tree line. As we arrived at Minaret Lake, the view was astounding. The Lake was still mostly icy and the surrounding peaks covered with snow.

We established our camp at the eastern edge of the lake (I highly recommend this area to enjoy the best views). It was new moon, we spent the evening starring at the Milky Way, sipping whiskey and entertaining a warm spirit. We found the skull of a dead bear, a reminder of the unforgiving nature of this place!

The lakes in the Ansel Adams Area are known for being filled with trouts. Minaret Lake is no exception, and if you are willing to carry a rod in your pack, it can be a fisherman's paradise. 

DOWNload terrain profile for Day 1

 Day 2 - Minaret Lake to Ediza Lake (via Cecile Lake)

Today's goal is to cross the pass that connects Minaret Lake and Iceberg Lake. This pass is not defined by a trail, which means the use of topographic maps, compass and/or GPS is indispensable. The blue line on the map represents the route for this specific day.

We started by going around the lake to its western edge. The unusually large amount of snow signaled this was going to be a fun adventure. We strapped on our micro spikes knowing we would keep them on the entire day.
Once on the other side of the lake, it is easy to mistake the pass. A good rule of thumb is to follow the stream of the river up to its source. (Up the pass is Cecile Lake, which flows into Minaret Lake). the coordinates of the pass are 37.6624, -119.1622.

The way up the pass consists of a 600ft climb. Most of it is pretty steep however the last stretch is almost vertical and requires to carefully boulder up the rocks. I would stil rate this as a Class 2/3 pass. It is manageable without any climbing gear although a fall could be painful.
Once on the pass, the views of Cecile Lakes start appearing. The lake was almost entirely frozen, offering for a dramatic icy scene in the middle of July. Yet the temperature that day was almost to warm and the sun was strong. 

We walked around Cecile Lake (10,300ft) by crossing the the boulder field, which this year, was buried under 6 feet of snow. . It's important to check conditions when travelling in the backcountry as the landscape can radically change from one year to the next.

On the other side of Cecile Lake is the northern edge of the pass and the descent to Iceberg Lake. In previous years, this pass was free of snow and consisted of a series of (manageable) steep boulders, commonly rated as a class 2 descent (no climbing equipment needed).

However, the icy layer of snow that covered the boulders in 2017 dramatically increased the grade of the slope and made it much more technical (Class 3). I wish I had a way of rapeling this things as this was going to be a steep descent. The slope is less steep on the western edge of the pass. We wished we had crampons at this point. Microspikes were simply not enough. My ice axe dramatically helped for the descent and gave me a chance to self arrest in case of a fall, which could have resulted in a collision at full speed on one of the overhanging rock or in breaking the sheet of ice covering Iceberg Lake. Two guys in our party fell during the descent but managed to self arrest after gaining considerable speed.
We focused on making good placements down the slope until we reached the edge of Iceberg Lake. We went around the lake to its northernmost part and finally joined the trail again (which was still covered by snow). From there, we descended 2 miles down to Ediza Lake (9,200ft). We arrived worn out and called it a day by jumping in the ice cold water (which is the best thing to do to alleviate muscle soreness almost instantly). 

We set up camp around Ediza Lake and enjoyed a mild night while recalling the epic adventure we had just gone through. 

DOWNLOAD TERRAIN PROFILE FOR DAY 2

 Day 3 - Ediza Lake to Agnew Meadows Trailhead

We hiked the river trail down from Ediza Lakes to shadow lake to Agnew Meadows Trailhead. (Orange line on the map). The trail is well marked and took us for a total of 6.5miles and 1800ft of descent down in a valley filled with large trees and a dense forrest. Don't claim victory too soon because the last 0.5 miles is a steep 600ft climb up to Agnew Meadows trailhead. From there you may join the shuttle stop, your car or hike the road down to Devils Postpile.

DOWNLOAD TERRAIN PROFILE FOR DAY 3

Other scenarios 

Other pristine areas of the Ansel Adams Wilderness include Beck Lakes, Garnet Lake and the world famous Thousand Island Lakes. Several passes connected the various lakes and a few high passes connects across the western divide onto Yosemite. The possibilities are endless.